[Django]-Django i18n: Make sure you have GNU gettext tools

In Ubuntu:

$ sudo apt-get install gettext

For Mac users, after installing Homebrew and gettext as @Louis Barranqueiro says (steps 1 and 2):

1. Install Homebrew : /usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
2. Install GNU gettext : brew install gettext

You shouldn’t use brew link gettext --force in step 3, because it is risky (as Brew advises if you try). A better workaround is to set a new PATH variable for your virtual environment. So, in the postactivate file, which is located in the bin folder of your virtual environment folder, type:

export TEMP_PATH=$PATH
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/Cellar/gettext/0.19.7/bin

Note that you have to replace 0.19.7 by the version that is installed in your machine.

And in your predeactivate file, which is located in the same folder of postactivate file, type:

export PATH=$TEMP_PATH
unset TEMP_PATH

Now you can use the python manage.py makemessages -l <desired_language> without worries. 🙂

Cheers.

This procedure worked for me (OSX 10.11.2 – python v3.5 and Django 1.8)
It should work with your configuration.

Install gettext GNU tools with Homebrew using Terminal

1. Install Homebrew : /usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
2. Install GNU gettext : brew install gettext
3. Create symlink : brew link gettext --force

This solution worked for me ( win. 7, 8 and 10 )

You need to download two folders:

• gettext-runtime_0.18.1.1-2_win32
• gettext-tools-dev_0.18.1.1-2_win32

You can find them here.

• After you download them, unzip them and add the directory of the bin file of the both folders to the system variables PATH of your pc.

• You will also need a file named libstdc++-6.dll download it from here and place it in your system directory. You will find adequate details on system directory here.

And that’s it. Hope it is useful for you.

Just below solution solved my problem. I am using Windows 10 64bit

1- Go to this link :
https://mlocati.github.io/articles/gettext-iconv-windows.html

2- Download 32 or 64 bit shared and static windows installation files

3-Install both of files
4-Restart your computer

Hi first of all make sure that your virtual environment is not in your root folder. I think it’s better practice to keep your virtual environment outside of the root folder. Obviously make sure your environment is activated. Of course make sure you have gettext installed as well.

If your env folder is in your root folder

To test this just make sure you add {% load i18n %} in all your templates, choose a template and do something like this:

<h1>{% trans 'My Test to be translated' %}</h1>

Now run this command

django-admin makemessages -l 'zh_CN' -i your_venv

(Make sure you replace your_venv to the name of your virtual environment.

After you run the above command, you should get this in your terminal.

processing locale zh_CN

Now you should have a locale folder like this: locale/cn/LC_MESSAGES/django.po

Now you will need to compile the messages. Run this command

django-admin compilemessages

In your locale folder, now you should get you should see django.mo file as well, but you will notice the difference in django.po file. Just add your translation there, and you can test again by setting your en language to LANGUAGE_CODE = ‘zh_CN’ then just refresh and test the h1 string will be translated to Chinese.

In order for the above to work in your settings.py ensure you have this here, for now most important is the LOCALE_PATHS, but please check if this (‘zh_CN’, _(‘Chinese’)), is correct

LANGUAGES = [
   ('zh_CN', _('Chinese')),
   ('en', _('English')),
]

LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'


TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'

USE_I18N = True

USE_L10N = True

USE_TZ = True

LOCALE_PATHS = [
    os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'locale'),
]

In this reply, the most important part is to realize where your virtual environment is located. Reason why you get all these errors.

Please make sure you refer to this video here, it’s a great tutorial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI97sLMd1rM

@max-malysh‘s answer solved it for me —without touching system files.

Copy and run each of the following:

brew install gettext
GETTEXT_PATH="/usr/local/Cellar/gettext/0.19.8.1/bin"
FILE="venv/bin/activate"
echo "" >> $FILE
echo "export PATH=\$PATH:$GETTEXT_PATH" >> $FILE
source venv/bin/activate

1. GETTEXT_PATH="/usr/local/Cellar/gettext/0.19.8.1/bin" stores gettext_path in a shell variable —adapt the version number according to what brew install gettext
2. FILE="venv/bin/activate" stores the path to the venv shell script
3. echo "" >> $FILE adds an empty line at the end of the to make sure the next command is on its own line
4. echo "export PATH=\$PATH:$GETTEXT_PATH" >> $FILE adds a command to the venv shell script; this command adds the path to gettext binaries to the global $PATH variable, so that they are used before OS binaries.
5. source venv/bin/activate runs the venv shell script so that variables are properly set. You can run this command more than once.

If you’re using Docker just simply run below command:

apt-get update

Then:

apt-get install gettext

If you use fish shell, another way around is to add this path to $fish_user_paths.This variable is prepended to $PATH, so you don’t have to set it in all your projects.

You can do it with the following command line :

set -U fish_user_paths /usr/local/Cellar/gettext/0.19.8.1/bin $fish_user_paths

Remember to replace 0.19.8.1 with your gettext version.

This sets $fish_user_paths as a Universal Variable. Here’s what help says about Universal Variables :

A universal variable is a variable whose value is shared across all
instances of fish, now and in the future – even after a reboot. You
can make a variable universal with set -U

So setting this variable in your shell once (no need to do it in a config file) will save it even after logging out or rebooting.

that works for windows users.
i am using django 2

1. access this https://mlocati.github.io/articles/gettext-iconv-windows.html

2 download the static version for your system

3. after downloaded execute the setup.

4. restart your pc and it will work.

That is all. THANKS.!!!!

the problem is hinted in the output from brew…

it has installed the GNU gettext but hasn’t linked it into your bin directory because OSX already provides a different version of gettext…

so Django doesn’t know to run the version you installed from brew.

apparently brew is too cautious here though and you should just link it https://stackoverflow.com/a/9787791/202168